Typical construction sites require that soil and other debris be removed by large construction vehicles such as dump trucks and the like. Dump trucks usually have large tires that pick up mud, gravel and debris that then is tracked out of the construction sites onto municipal roads and highways. The majority of the soil and debris fall off the dump truck tires when they initially contact the municipal roads and highways. The build-up of this material on the roads presents a hazard for motorists and other commercial traffic encountering it as they drive by the construction site.
Removing this material efficiently, economically and in an environmentally safe procedure becomes a challenge for the municipalities, as street cleaning machines may remove the debris but the resulting waste run off can pollute the storm drain system and the environment.
Prior art washing systems have been devised to address some of the noted problems. For example, Midkiff is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,978 which issued on May 24, 2005 and relates to apparatus for washing the wheels and tires of heavy duty vehicles includes a wash trough in which the wheels and tires are washed, and a refuse trough in which refuse from the vehicles is deposited for facile removal. The troughs are separated by a wall having a space through which debris from the wash trough is impelled by a stream of water into the refuse trough.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,330 issued on Mar. 19, 2002 to McGraw and relates to an apparatus for washing mud, dirt and silt from the tires of a truck leaving a construction site includes a water supply line, a collection basin and a grate positioned over the collection basin. The truck is driven over the grate and the water delivered to the spray ports is directed onto the tires of the truck. The mud, dirt and silt and the run-off water collects in the collection basin. Once the level of the run-off water reaches the level of the drain ports of the drainage system, the run-off water is drained from the collection basin to a recycling tank or a storm drain. Once the mud, dirt and silt reach a predetermined amount, it is removed from the collection basin.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,278,435 which issued on Oct. 9, 2007 to Roles, Jr. relates to a system and method for the collection of waste water generated in the course of maintenance or washing of a large object in an open-air, outdoor environment. The system includes a wash deck having a drain located within a valley of the deck, an interceptor drain for separation of particulates and sludge from the wash fluid, an actuator, that is responsive to changes in hydraulic pressure of wash water supply, for opening and closing a waste stream control valve and a waste steam control valve intermediate between the interceptor drain and a sanitary sewer connection. The system of this invention operates independent of elaborate controls and any external power source. Thus, it can be used in relatively remote locations and/or installed in areas where electricity is unavailable, or the presence of electrical current would be incompatible with safety of livestock or thoroughbred race horse.
The oil sands and mining environments however are a much more destructive and topographically-changing environments, than the environment found in a typical construction site. Specifically oil sands, which can also be referred to as tar sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit that naturally contain a mixture of sand, clay, water, and a dense and extremely viscous form of petroleum know as bitumen. Due to the viscous nature of oil sands, heavy machinery and transport vehicles operating in the oil sands sites routinely and inevitably pick up large amounts of soil containing bitumen. There is a reduced life span for the major drive train, u-joints and other mechanical under body components of these vehicles, due to the corrosive quartz based sand trapped in the clay and the excessive build up of lime, mud, organic materials and a hydrocarbon rich bitumen mixture. This build up of material can weigh over 900 lbs per vehicle, impacting the vehicle's cooling capabilities and adding additional stress to the transmission and accessible rotating components. Typically the life expectancy of light trucks for example in the oil sands sites near Fort McMurray Alberta Canada is approximately 60,000 km.
Current wash systems in bitumen rich sites near Fort McMurray, are costly, time and energy consuming, and not environmentally friendly. The cleaning time for one vehicle is lengthy due to the nature of the bitumen, gains only marginal results and the vehicle is out of operation for long periods of time. As a result, vehicles are cleaned three to four times yearly. Bitumen can be nearly impossible to remove using standard practices. Therefore the dirty vehicles unintentionally deposit loose chunks of mud and bitumen on highways and streets creating an unsafe environment for local residents and wildlife.
Typically, washing systems have tried to remove the build up from the tires and undercarriage of vehicles by using flocculants and other chemicals. Additionally, various types of water jetting systems have been used to power wash the bitumen mixture off the vehicles. However the resulting run off an environmental challenge due to the large amount of hazardous solids present in the water.
Thus A portable or fixed and mining operation vehicle wash system which extends vehicle life, eliminates track out in local townships, is structurally stability, employs zero flocculants, can be portable and located at key points within a cite operation, targets under carriage and tires employing high volume, high pressure nozzles, requires minimal cycle time (less than two minutes per cleaning), can be a self contained unit, has automatic accumulation and solids removal for safe disposal, and can recycle heated or unheated water for continuous use would be desirable.